Unlike last year, the status of Terrell Owens doesn't shape the top of the NFC's preseason rankings. With the conference so weak, and the Eagles so deep in talent and experience, even a protracted holdout or trade of Owens couldn't knock them from the top spot.

That's a testament to the Eagles' front office, which has been at the forefront of player development and salary-cap management over the last few years. But it's also an indictment on the rest of the NFC, where poor drafts, age and free agency have robbed the strength from many teams. In fact, the conference has become so thin that a ranking of the NFL's top 15 teams would arguably include only four from the NFC